


A Dream of Peace

by sevarix



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Claude von Riegan Needs a Hug, F/M, Gen, Rarepair, Stressed Claude von Riegan, claude will never let go of his dream, claude/hapi, i just thought it would be interesting, quite possibly the only claude/hapi fic in existance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27662908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevarix/pseuds/sevarix
Summary: After the events of Verdant Wind, Claude finds himself back in Almyra, doing everything he can to make his dream a reality. When it becomes clear that his homeland would be difficult to convince of his dream, he desperately tries to contact his old friends and classmates for help. Along the way, he unexpectedly runs into an old acquaintance…(or, the claude/hapi fic no one thought they needed)
Relationships: Claude von Riegan/Hapi, Hapi & Claude von Riegan
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> thought i'd try my hand at writing a rarepair fic.  
> other relationships will occur as the story progresses (i'm sure it's extremely obvious which ones for those of you who've read my other stuff)

Claude had always thought a king could have basically whatever he wanted. As he got older, he started to realize being a leader often restricted one’s freedoms, but to think the king of Almyra would not even be able to roam his own palace was disappointing, to say the least.

There were some Almyrans who were loyal to king Khalid, but they seemed to become fewer by the day. At this point, Claude has lost count of the assassination attempts. He simply resorted to living in the most secure place in the palace, guarded by those he trusted most.

His feeling of helplessness was only made worse by the fact that all his friends that he had made over the past six or seven years were in Fódlan. He had given up his title as Duke Riegan and sacrificed much to return to his homeland staying true to his dream. But so far, things were still rocky.

He sat at the table in the corner of the room and took out another sheet of paper. He had lost track of just how many letters he sent to Fódlan , and at this point there were only a few people he hadn’t heard back from yet. Unfortunately, those few were also the only ones left to have not declined his offer.

Most of all, he wished Teach wasn’t missing. After turning down the title of King of Unified Fódlan , his name fell from all records, and some even assumed he was dead. In his place, Seteth had taken up the title, but he was reluctant to help Claude for fear of an uprising from the people. He understood, although it only made him feel more helpless.

He was almost done with yet another letter to Bernadetta, the one former classmate he had the least faith in responding, when he heard a knock on the door.

When he answered, he saw one of the royal guards standing at attention. “Your majesty,” he began. “We have captured a very dangerous mage and need your opinion on her sentencing.”

“A dangerous mage? Another assassin?”

He nodded. “She did not resisted her capture, but it seems likely she is up to no good. She’s also a foreigner who claims to know you.”

Claude was intrigued. Could it have been one of his old classmates who finally heeded is call? “Take me to her. I want to see her for myself.”

* * *

When Claude arrived at the heavily guarded cell, he almost regretted his decision to meet this so-called dangerous mage. But then as the guards parted, he spotted the prisoner inside and almost couldn’t believe his eyes.

Hapi lifted her eyes up at him and smiled. “Hey, Claudester. Long time no see.”

“Hapi?! What in the world are you doing _here_ of all places?” He liked to think she had no malicious intent, but Claude had never really gotten to know her on a personal level. Still, the fact that he might have a potential friend from Fódlan was worth the risk.

“I wanted to talk to you, actually. But when I asked them,” she gestured vaguely toward the guards, “they kept saying I was a threat and put me in here.”

“Let her out,” he said to the guards. “She’s not a threat.”

After a brief hesitation, they complied. Hapi walked out of the cell, stretching. “Thanks.”

One of the guards turned to him with concern. “Your Majesty, what should we do with her now?”

“She’s a friend,” Claude replied. “Give her the quarters next to mine.”

“You’re… certain?”

“Yeah, you sure you want me to live in this fancy place?” Hapi asked.

“I’m certain.” Then he turned to Hapi. “I need more friends close by.”

She tilted her head at him, then nodded. “Sure.”

While the servants prepared Hapi’s new quarters, Claude took her to his own to catch up. She immediately made herself at home, taking a seat in a plush armchair.

“So please, I’m dying to know,” Claude began. “Why the hell did you come all the way to Almyra?”

She chuckled. “Did you really think I was gonna stay in Fódlan now that the church took over everything? I mean, I guess Seteth is all right, but it’s _still_ the church. Knights of Seiros will always be the same.” She shrugged. “I figured I’d see what was in Almyra.”

Claude blinked at her.

“Oh but also, I wanted to talk to you.”

“You realize I’m not Claude anymore, right? I’m King Khalid now. I have no more ties to Fódlan.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of _course_ I know that. You’re still the same person, though. Doesn’t matter what name you use. Anyway, I also came here to ask you about… um… well, a more personal issue.”

Claude sat across from her and nodded for her to continue.

“Well, I’m sure you remember my… curse thing, right? The sighing thing?”

“Yeah, monsters appear when you sigh. I’m guessing the guards here heard about it too.”

“Probably. But, during my time in Abyss, I tried to find a way to reverse whatever magic that Cornelia lady used on me to make me like this. I couldn’t find anything in Fódlan that could help. Many of the mage types who would know something about it don’t live in Fódlan because of the church.”

Claude nodded. “So _that’s_ why you’re here. You’re welcome to stay here, but I’m not sure I can help you with finding a cure for you.”

“That’s fine. I can’t complain about getting to live in a fancy place like this. I used to live in Abyss, after all.” She paused a moment, looking at Claude carefully. “I’ve noticed something since coming here, though. Seems like some people really don’t like you.”

He nodded, letting out a sigh. “Yeah. To many of the people here, I’m just a half-breed traitor for taking up the Dukedom in Fódlan during the war. But I couldn’t stay in Fódlan, either.”

She nodded with understanding. “The church, right?”

“Well yeah, that’s part of it. But also, I have a dream to unite Fodlan and Almyra so that the two lands can be peaceful.”

She chuckled softly. “That’s quite a dream, Claudester. I bet you could do it. Especially since you have all those friends in Fódlan, now.”

He shook his head and frowned. “Well, that’s the thing. Maybe it’s the church, or maybe they’re all too busy with their own territories, but no matter how many times I’ve reached out to them, they haven’t been able to help me at all.” He nodded. “You’re the first friend I’ve had talk to me since I’ve left Fódlan.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? Not even Chatterbox?”

He paused a moment. “Oh you mean Byleth? No, he apparently disappeared completely. Some say he’s dead. No matter how much I try to search for him, I come up with nothing. Of all people, I think he’d be the most likely to want to help.”

She nodded. “Oh he certainly would. I’d be surprised if he was dead. Maybe he ran away from Fódlan too.”

A faint knock sounded, followed by a meek voice. “Your Majesty, your guest’s room is now available.”

Hapi stood and nodded at him. “Well, I think your dream is a good one. I’ll do what I can to help you. It’s the least I can do to repay you for letting me stay here.”

He smiled. “Thanks, Hapi.”

* * *

The next morning, after checking and finding he had no new letters, Claude moved to his favorite area within his safe area of the palace: the balcony garden. It was simple, yet beautiful. A wide balcony contained within a wall of trellises filled with vines and flowers. Aside from the decorative plants, it contained a table and chairs, making it the place he usually sat for all his meals.

Although, this time, someone was already sitting at the table.

Hapi sat among the flora, casually sipping tea while reading a book.

“I see you’re already settled in,” Claude commented as he sat across from her.

“Oh, hey Claudest--”

“You can really just call me Claude. Or even better, Khalid.”

She nodded. “I like Claude. Anyway, this is a real nice place you’ve got.” She gestured around her. “Nice and pretty.”

He laughed. “Glad you’re enjoying it.” He poured himself a cup of tea, then looked back at her. “If you don’t mind, I wanted to… discuss my situation a bit more. If that’s all right.”

“Oh, about making peace with Fódlan? Or, really, I guess the church.”

“Yeah. I’ve been trying to contact my old friends, but those who have responded stated they didn’t have the resources to help. Which makes sense, I guess. The war only ended a little over a year ago. But there might be some political things going on, too.”

She nodded. “Seems likely.”

“I figured my best chance would be Byleth, but like I mentioned before, he’s still missing. For that, though… I might be able to get more information with your help.”

She tilted her head. “My help? I’ll try, but I’m not sure what I could do there.”

“You’re friends with Yuri, right?”

She glanced down. “I guess.”

It was not quite the answer he was expecting, but he continued anyway. “Well, I have no clue how to get a letter to him. And even if I could reach him, I doubt he’d trust me. But I think if anyone knew where Byleth was, it would be him.”

“So, you want me to send him a letter for you?”

“Yeah, if that’s all right.”

She hesitated, frowning. “I… I’m not so sure. I haven’t seen him since just after the war ended.”

“Oh. Did… something happen? Should I not consider him an ally anymore?”

She shook her head. “No, nothing like that. It’s just… between the two of us. A relationship that didn’t work out. And… well, I said some things to him that made him sad.”

Claude blinked at her. “Wait, you and him were…”

“Not for long. Didn’t last. Anyway, I’m not sure he’d want to hear from me.”

He nodded with understanding. “That’s fine. My other option is Bernadetta. She’s the new Count Varley, but she hasn’t responded to any of my letters. I’ve confirmed that she’s still alive, but I’m wondering if she’s too afraid to help or something.”

“Oh yeah, the hermit one,” Hapi replied, nodding. “Give her some time. Ask really nicely, too. Nothing that could be the slightest bit intimidating.”

Claude thought he had tried those things, but perhaps it wasn’t enough. “Maybe you can help me write the next one.”

“Sure. Is she really the only one left to ask?”

“Yeah. As you can see, I’m _really_ running out of options.”

She nodded with determination. “Don’t give up yet, Claude.”


	2. Chapter 2

Bernadetta almost panicked when she saw yet another letter from Claude. She hadn’t even opened the last few he sent, but they had been coming in more and more frequently.

She knew she should have responded sooner. Now he was probably angry, and sending a response late would just make him angrier. But not sending a response at all might also make him angry. It was all so troubling that she couldn’t think about it without feeling overwhelmed, and then she hid from it until another letter came and all the thoughts started over again.

That’s when she decided she needed someone else’s opinion. Bernadetta knew she was not good at making decisions, and for times like this she had come to depend on her close friend, who, fortunately for her, lived relatively close by.

A knock on her office door made her jump. She turned and opened the door, finding Yuri smiling back at her.

“Hey, Bernadetta.”

She rushed forward and embraced him. “Oh thank the goddess you’re here!”

He laughed. “Having some trouble?”

She walked back over to the table and gestured toward the stack of unopened letters. “Yes! Please Yuri I need your help!”

He nodded, then pulled a chair up to her desk. “Someone overwhelming you with letters?”

She sat across from him, fidgeting. “Yes. They’re all from Claude.”

“Claude? Didn’t he run off to Almyra? Wait, you didn’t even open most of these!”

“W-well I didn’t know how to respond and then I figured it would be too late to respond and then--”

“Calm down, it’s fine. I’ll take a look.”

Bernadetta watched his expression as he opened the letters one-by-one and read their contents. For some, he narrowed his eyes in confusion, and for others he frowned. After getting through about half the stack, he nodded decisively.

“Looks like Claude is asking for your help,” Yuri concluded.

“Is he angry? He’s angry at me, isn’t he. I knew I should have responded sooner.”

Yuri shook his head. “No, he’s not angry. In fact… he sounds really desperate. He didn’t exactly say too much about what was wrong, but it’s clear he needs support from Fódlan.”

Bernadetta felt a wave of shame. “Then… I let him down! He… he asked for me help specifically. Oh Bernie you’ve done it again. You let him down and now--”

“It’s all right, Bernadetta. I think you can still help. And… maybe I can help too.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah, in one of the letters he mentioned trying to find Byleth to get his help.”

“Didn’t he…” her voice softened. “Die?”

“Nope.”

“He’s alive?!”

“He’s… hiding. But yes. He’s alive. I know where he is.”

Bernadetta could only stare at him in shock.

“Anyway, I suggest you write back and tell him you’d like to meet with him. Preferably here, but if he insists on meeting in Almyra then I guess that’s fine too.”

“Is he all right!?”

“Claude? I don’t know, why don’t you ask him?”

“No, Byleth! Is he all right? Is he doing that sleeping thing again?”

Yuri shook his head and chuckled. “He’s perfectly fine. He just wants to lay low for a bit.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “Good. I’ll respond to Claude. I’m glad he’s still my friend.”

“Was there anything else you needed advice on?”

She huffed with frustration. “Just all the marriage proposals, I guess. I haven’t opened most of them, either.”

He laughed. “I don’t blame you. Sounds annoying. You know you can decline, right?”

“W-well, yes, but… I’m afraid they’ll pressure me or get angry or something.”

“Just be assertive. Tell them you’ll marry whoever you want, even if he’s a commoner. It’s through a letter, so you don’t have to worry about being face-to-face with them.”

She blinked at him. “I… can do that?”

He chuckled. “You can write whatever you want in your letters.”

“No I mean… I can marry a commoner?”

He shrugged. “Sure. Up to you, really. It’s no one’s business but yours. Don’t let the other nobles make you think otherwise.”

For a moment, Bernadetta could only stare at him, feeling increasingly nervous. “So I-I could… potentially… maybe… m-marry…” her voice weakened, becoming just barely audible. “you?”

He stared at her for a moment, then smiled sadly. “Hypothetically, sure. But it’s probably best you find someone who’s not already taken.”

“Wait, you’re…. you’re…” She felt suddenly very stupid. “I should have known. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s Hapi, isn’t it?”

“It’s fine. And no, I haven’t seen her in over a year. I don’t even know where she went.”

“Then… who?” She had never heard him mention anyone he was close to, to the point where Bernadetta thought she might be his only friend. But she should have known someone like Yuri would know lots of people besides her.

He sighed. “I’d prefer to keep my personal life private.” Then he looked at her sadly. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

She nodded with understanding. “You’ll still be my friend, right?”

He smiled. “Of course. Nothing could change that.”

\---------------------------------

Claude almost couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the letter in his hands. It had been only a couple weeks since he sent the last one, around the same time Hapi had showed up. Maybe having her help write it was a good idea after all.

“Oh! What’s it say?!” Hapi looked at him expectantly as she sat across from him on the balcony garden. It had been a place they spent much of their time the past few weeks, especially since neither of them felt safe wandering around the palace.

Without hesitation, he opened the letter.

_Claude,_

_I’m really sorry I didn’t write sooner! Please don’t be upset with me. I’m responding now though, so I hope that counts!_

_I am happy to help you however I can. I’m still not really sure what you need help with, so maybe you can come to Varley territory so we can talk about it. Or if you really can’t come here, we can always go see you instead. But give me some time. That’s a long trip._

_Your friend,_

_Bernie_

Claude smiled as he read the letter. “She hasn’t changed a bit.”

“So she’ll help?”

“Yeah, she asked for me to come meet her in her territory.”

Hapi shook her head. “No. We can’t go to Fódlan. Bad idea.”

“I must agree. She did also say she could come here if we couldn’t leave. Or actually… she said ‘we’. So maybe some of our old friends are with her?”

“Bernie doesn’t seem the type to travel on her own. Besides, more friends here means you’re safer, right?”

He nodded. “Well, that’s the idea, at least.”

She smiled. “It’ll be fun having our friends here. I’ll definitely feel safer. And I won’t be the only foreigner! People are weird about that here.”

He smiled sadly. “Yeah, they are. That’s why I want to change things. I want people to feel like they belong no matter where they make their home. I don’t want us to be defined by where we were born, or what religion we believe. I want us to be defined by who we truly are.”

Hapi stared at him a moment, then chuckled. “I like how you think, Claude. I’m glad I decided to come here.”

He found himself smiling. “I am too.”


	3. Chapter 3

When Bernadetta got Claude’s response, she immediately sent a message to Yuri. To her surprise, he requested that she come to Abyss to discuss it there instead. It made her nervous, but she did it anyway, and rushed over there as soon as she could.

The Abysskeeper stopped her from going too far. She didn’t blame him, though; she probably looked a bit crazed in her anxious rush to share the news.

“Please! I _need_ to see Yuri. He told me to come here! I promise!”

“I just wanted to know your name,” he replied. “I didn’t say you couldn’t see him.”

“Oh. My name is Bernadetta.”

“Oh yeah I’ve been expecting you,” he replied. “All right, come with me.”

She did as he said, nervously following him through the tunnels, looking carefully around Abyss. She had only been there a few times, and something about it still frightened her a bit, but at the same time she felt a sense of comfort knowing she was so far underground, away from the rest of the world.

After a few minutes, the Abysskeeper stopped at a door and knocked. “Hey boss, got Bernadetta here like you asked.”

Yuri appeared almost instantly, ushering her inside. “Thanks for coming all this way.” He nodded at the Abysskeeper, who left to return to his post. “You have the letter with you?”

“Yes, of cour--” She froze when she saw the others in the room sitting at a table.

“Greetings, Bernadetta!” Lorenz proclaimed. “I am glad to see that you are well.”

She remained speechless as she saw the one sitting beside him: her old professor, who had given up his title and disappeared.

Apparently he disappeared to Abyss. Bernadetta almost wished she had done it, too. She still wasn’t sure if she liked being Count Varley

“You’re… you’re here?!”

Byleth nodded. “Good to see you again, Bernadetta.”

She still couldn’t believe her eyes. “I… I…”

“Come on,” Yuri said. “Take a seat and we’ll explain.”

Bernadetta sat, still confused. “Yuri, have you been scheming with them this whole time?”

“Apologies, Bernadetta,” Lorenz replied. “I told him not to tell you for the time being. This is all my scheme, if we must call it that. Ever since the war ended, the church has been overbearing. You have probably been safe from it, considering your… seclusion, but I have found it repulsive, and I want to stop it. The Church of Seiros is only about controlling others, not about helping people. As a noble, I feel it is one of my duties to stop them in order to help the common people.”

Byleth nodded. “Seteth actually warned me of this. Rhea might be sleeping for an indefinite amount of time, but her followers are everywhere within the church. She even apparently gave many of them her blood to give them her crest and keep them loyal. I would have just been a puppet for them. Seteth can handle them better.”

“I had no idea,” Bernadetta admitted. “You should have told me sooner!”

“Well, you’re here now,” Lorenz replied. “And with a response from Claude, yes?”

“Oh that’s right!” She placed the letter onto the table. “Claude said he’d be happy to meet with us, but we have to go to Almyra to talk to him.”

“I had a feeling that might be the case,” Yuri said.

“I say we go, then,” Lorenz replied. “If we help Claude with finding peace between our two nations, then surely the church will lose some of its power.”

“Wait, you’re saying _all_ of us should go to Almyra?” Bernadetta asked.

“It would probably bring him comfort having us all there,” Byleth said.

“Yes!” Lorenz said with enthusiasm. “For Claude!”

“Hold on a moment,” Yuri said. “I’m not so sure about this.”

“Yeah, me too,” Bernadetta added.

“From what we’ve learned, it seems like Claude isn’t safe in Almyra,” Yuri continued. “And they apparently hate outsiders there. Especially from Fodlan. I think if we just showed up on his doorstep, it would endanger us all, especially Claude.”

“Then what do you propose?” Lorenz asked.

“We need to know more about the situation. The most important thing is keeping Claude safe. I suggest we head to Goneril territory for now and see what we can find out about what’s going on in Almyra.”

Lorenz rubbed his chin. “I suppose Holst would be amicable about helping us.” He nodded. “All right. I accept your plan.”

Bernadetta almost declined joining them, but then she thought about how Claude had reached out to her specifically. As much as she wanted to hide away in her own territory, she knew that her friend needed her.

* * *

Hapi had been in Almyra for about two months now, but she still didn’t feel fully settled in. There was a strange tension throughout the palace that rivaled even that of Garreg Mach. It was as though Claude was forced to live in his own little world, hidden away in his own little section of the palace while the rest of Almyra pretended not to hate him.

He did have some who were loyal to him, Hapi included, but the atmosphere of the place was grim. She still wasn’t entirely sure why, but Almyrans really disliked outsiders, to the point where they hated having a king who was only half Almyran.

She didn’t think things could be worse than Fodlan, but now she was started to second guess herself. Sure, the church was terrible and she hated their influence over everyone, but at least she had friends there. It seems Claude had felt the same way considering his attempt to urge his friends to visit. He never did receive another response from Bernadetta after asking her to come to Almyra, but he also hadn’t given up hope.

Hapi had, though.

Maybe her decision to leave Fodlan was too rash. Maybe she should have stuck around longer, even though she could hardly face Yuri after what she said to him. He had insisted that what she said to him was what he deserved, but after thinking about it for over a year now, she had only come to the conclusion that she should have handled the situation differently.

Sometimes she wished she could apologize to him, or let him know that she was willing to give him another chance. After all, he had always been so kind to her, and she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit to thinking about him frequently.

She shook the thought from her head. No use in thinking about that, now. She’d probably never see him again anyway. As much as it saddened her at times, she figured it was probably for the best.

Like she did many nights, Hapi moved out onto the balcony to look at the stars. It was something she always did as a child, and even now it brought her comfort. No matter where she was, the sky was always looking down on her, and she up at it.

For a moment she just stood on the balcony, feeling the night air as she tried to clear her mind.

She almost didn’t hear the sound coming from the edge of the balcony.

At first she thought it was just the wind, but then she heard the sound of glass shattering. Instantly she spun around, finding the window to Claude’s room broken. Without a second thought she ran toward it, ready to cast magic if needed.

The room was dark, but it was clear Claude was prepared for this. In what little light there was, she could see Claude was by no means vulnerable. Already he was defending himself against the attackers, indicating this was not his first experience with assassins.

With a spell of dark magic, Hapi helped defeat the last of them, leaving the room in silence once more. 

“Thanks,” Claude said, trying to catch his breath.

“Are you all right?” Hapi asked.

“I mean, aside from the fact that I was almost murdered, sure, I’m fine.”

“Do you think that was--”

Before she could even finish the question, the door to his room burst open, followed by more attackers entering.

Hapi considered sighing. In the darkness she could only see flashes of the scene whenever she cast a spell, but even still she knew their numbers were too great. A monster appearing might be able to at least help Claude escape.

Already she saw Claude attempting to escape the room, deftly dodging attacks as he moved toward the door. With another spell, Hapi stunned the attackers long enough for them both to move out of the door and into the hallway. On the way, she picked up a knife from one of the fallen assassins, feeling comfort in having an actual weapon for defense. 

“This is the worst one yet,” Claude commented as she followed him.

“Think a monster would help?”

He hesitated a moment, stopping briefly to catch his breath. “Up to you. My goal right now is to escape.”

Before Hapi had time to consider, more armed figures appeared. It wasn’t just a few assassins, she realized, it seemed like nearly a whole army had been sent to kill the king. She began to inhale for a sigh when a flash of fire stopped her. The approaching armed figures fell to the ground immediately after, and for a moment Hapi could only stare into the dim hallway with confusion.

“No… is that….” Claude rushed forward without another word.

Hapi tried to stop him, but he evaded her grasp. As she chased after Claude, she finally saw who he was running toward.

“Teach?! Is that really you?”

Byleth stepped closer, his expression full of relief. “Claude! You’re all right!”

Claude instantly embraced his old professor. “I… I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Oh good, you found him,” a new voice said.

Hapi froze at the sound of it. Already she was shocked to see Byleth, but if he was here too... she thought she might actually be dreaming.

Claude took a step back. “Yuri?! You’re here, too?”

“Hey, Claude,” he replied, sword drawn. “Been a while.” Then he spotted Hapi, his eyes going wide. “Hapi? What are you…”

“We can catch up later,” Byleth said. “We need to get out of here.”

Hapi hesitated a moment, wondering if she was indeed dreaming, then rushed to follow them to safety, wherever that might be.

* * *

When Hapi awoke, the sun was already high in the sky.

They had escaped on horses taken from the palace stables before escaping through the thick pine forests of Almyra. Once they had been a good distance away from the palace, they set up a small camp.

So far, very few words had been exchanged. Hapi had many questions about lots of things, but everyone was so rushed to get to safety that asking questions was the least of her worries.

For now she sat outside the tent, glancing up at the towering pine trees. It felt calm to her there, and almost reminded her of the forests of her home village. But then the realization of the current situation flooded back to her. She was glad Claude was all right, but it seemed like it was no longer safe for him to be back at the palace. And she was once again without a safe place to be.

She was about to stand up and go for a walk when she heard someone sit down beside her. She didn’t need to even turn her head. She knew who it was.

“Hey, Hapi,” Yuri said softly. “Good to see you again.”

Slowly, she turned to look at him. “Hey. It’s been a while.”

For a moment, they sat in silence, which only made Hapi’s thoughts spin. This was the situation she had gone over in her head hundreds of times in the past year, but now that it was actually happening, she found it difficult to find the right words.

Before she had a chance to choose her words, Yuri spoke.

“So… I realize we didn’t exactly part on the best of circumstances. I just wanted to apologize for what happened.”

“Wait, why are you apologizing to _me_? I should be the one apologizing. I said all those terrible things to you, and…” She couldn’t finish the statement.

“No need to beat yourself up about it. It’s fine. It’s in the past.”

She nodded. “Yeah. In the past.” Despite his words, she didn’t feel any better.

“So why were you in Almyra of all places?”

Good. Subject changed. “I just didn’t feel safe in Fodlan. So I decided to drop in on Claude. Turns out it wasn’t any safer.”

He nodded. “That’s for sure. Glad you’re safe, though.”

There were still so many things she wanted to say to him, but she did not yet have the courage. “Where are we going, anyway?”

“For now? Fodlan’s Locket. Don’t really have a long term plan yet. First priority was saving Claude.”

“Good job on that, by the way,” Hapi replied. “You and Chatterbox have a habit of showing up at just the right time.”

He laughed softly. “I’m just glad it worked out.”

They sat in silence a moment longer, and during that time, Hapi built up some confidence.

“Um… Yuri-bird, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you.”

He looked at her curiously. “Sure.”

She glanced down, avoiding his eyes. “Well, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what happened. And I don’t think I really gave you the chance you deserved.” She turned to him, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn’t back out now. “So… I just want to let you know that I want to give you another chance.”

He stared at her in surprise for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he sighed, hanging his head. “Hapi… I’m flattered, but….”

She instantly regretted anything anything. “You don’t want that,” she said, finishing his sentence.

“Don’t take it the wrong way, though. I’m glad to have you as a friend. But… well… I have someone else now.”

“Oh.” Of course he did. She should have assumed that from the beginning. Now she was just making a fool of herself. She even had an idea of who it was, especially considering how he knew about Claude’s situation. “Um… that’s great. Is it Bernadetta?”

He chuckled. “No. It’s Byleth.”

“ _Oh_.” That changed the situation slightly, at least in her mind. There weren’t many people she respected more than Byleth. “I guess that makes sense.” She nodded. “I’m happy for you, Yuri-bird.”

He smiled. “Thanks.”

It hurt her heart with a piercing sadness, especially after she had gone over this moment in her mind so many times, but she knew eventually the feeling would pass. Just like most things.

**Author's Note:**

> sometimes I post on tumblr before I post here! if you're interested, find me at: sevarix-writes-fe3h


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